Weight Loss Program
If you're like most people, finding time to exercise and
a weight loss program can be a challenge, so you want to
get the most out of the time you do have. Including "intervals"
in your exercise routine can help you maximize your weight
loss and fitness results.
Intervals are brief periods (about one
minute) of more intense exercise mixed into your regular
aerobic exercise sessions. For example, if you're walking,
you would do a one minute interval of faster walking about
every five minutes throughout your exercise session.
Here's how it will look.. you'll start with
your normal three to five minute warm-up and then five minutes
into your workout you do your first interval, one minute
of faster walking (or perhaps jogging). At the end of that
minute you should be "winded" and ready to slow
down. You'll slow down to your normal exercising speed for
the next four minutes and then your fifth minute is another
one minute interval. This pattern continues throughout your
exercise session.
You'll derive several benefits from intervals..
1. Intervals can help you to get past a
weight loss plateau.
2. Intervals increase your aerobic fitness
level by "pushing the envelope". While doing your
interval you cross the anaerobic threshold into anaerobic
metabolism, forcing your body to become conditioned to more
intense exercise.
3. Your increased level of fitness means
that a given level of exercise will feel easier and that
you will be able to exercise at a higher intensity which
"burns" more calories.
4. Your increased level of fitness also
means that you will be less fatigued from daily activities
and you'll have more "energy" throughout the day.
5. Intervals increase your basal metabolic
rate (BMR), causing you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day.
6. Intervals cause you to "burn"
more calories during your exercise session and for several
hours afterwards.
7. Intervals will tone the involved muscles
to a greater degree than your regular aerobic exercise would.
8. Intervals can make your exercise less
monotonous and help the time pass more quickly.
9. Intervals will energize you!
If you'd like to put a little excitement
into your exercise, and you're looking for better results,
give intervals a try!
